Lakeshore Technical College’s Production Technician Boot Camp is in full swing, and participants are giving the program rave reviews.

The Production Technician Boot Camp is an LTC-exclusive program running July 13 through Aug. 21, 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday. It trains applicants for careers in manufacturing and production. LTC is planning another boot camp in the fall, which will allow applicants to take classes in the evening. Five boot camp participants are from the Manitowoc area, and one is from Mequon.

Matt Havlichek, a new marketing and sales representative at Beamaco, is one of six students at the boot camp. Unlike other students, Havlichek has been through more “traditional” higher education, and is coming to the boot camp to learn more of the technical aspects of his job.

“I graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a degree in marketing and psychology, but in order to go out and do marketing and sales, I needed to know more about the industry,” said Havlichek. “Instead of taking a long time on the job to learn all the processes and technical jargon, I’m learning all that here, so I can just jump in when I start.”

Kimberly Lyn Mott, another student at LTC, recently graduated from Lincoln High School. She signed up for the boot camp so she could go directly into the workforce. Mott considered going to a college, but preferred going through a program that paved the way for a well-paying job.

“I had a guidance appointment at school, and when they asked me what I wanted to do after school, I told them I wanted to go to school and get a job, and get some money going,” said Mott. “But for now, I just want to go into the workforce and earn some money. ”

Jason Scholten, Advanced Manufacturing Mobile Lab coordinator at LTC and instructor of the boot camp, said while a four-year school might give students a broader education, LTC’s boot camp is focused on preparing students specifically for the workforce.

“Four-year schools cannot be as flexible as we can,” said Scholten. “They can’t modify their curriculum as quickly. We have much more local employer feedback, whereas state schools need to have curriculum changed through the state.”

Scholten believes students at LTC are likely to succeed not only in the workforce, but also in traditional academic settings.

“Sometimes when you have older students coming in, they have been out of school for so long that coming back can be intimidating,” said Scholten. “But a program like this helps them get their feet wet, and makes going back and getting a degree not as intimidating. You’re showing them that they can do it, that it’s possible for them to go further.”

The only aspect of the production boot camp that isn’t meeting expectations is the class size. That said, this year is the boot camp’s first run, and LTC expects larger classes in subsequent sessions.

“Overall, I’m actually kind of shocked more people didn’t sign up,” said Havlichek. “I know I’m a unique case in that I’ve gone to college already, but I think this is a great opportunity for people who are looking for jobs in the manufacturing industry, and would give them a leg up on some of their competition, and getting jobs either out of technical school or even high school. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who wants to do it.”

The Advanced Manufacturing Mobile Lab is a self-contained training lab designed to deliver manufacturing curriculum to high schools, businesses and the Department of Corrections. The Mobile Lab serves local employers with onsite, hands-on, mechanical skills and basic electrical skill assessments for current or potential employees.(Photo: Photo courtesy of Lakeshore Technical College)